Elastic



March 10, 1964 J. P. REPKO ELASTIC FILM DISPENSER-FAX (JO/m P3512 901A? i I Q I is.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1960 March 10, 1964 J. P. REPKO ELASTIC FILM DISPENSER-FAX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31. 1960 I E IN VEN TOR.

tfofm P F United States Patent 3,124,298 ELASTIC FILM DISPENSER-PAK John P. Repko, Parma, Ohio, assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 66,159 4 Claims. ({Il. 22966) This invention relates to a container formed of elastic film and having means for conveniently dispensing the contents thereof.

The container of the invention is preferably formed of an elastic film which is heat sealable, such as thin gauge polyethylene. While the inventive concept may be utilized in the packaging of various and sundry products, it will 'be found especially useful for packaging paper towels, and napkins, or other paper products of the single fold, or multifold type.

Briefly, the container of the invention comprises an elastic film type wrapper, or bag, which is heat sealed to snugly enclose a product, e.g. folded towels, and which has a tear strip defined by two rows of serrations, which tear strip may be removed so that the contents thereof may be dispensed in an orderly manner. In one embodiment, the container includes a header type of label having punched holes for hanging purposes, thus allowing the towels to be dispensed from a hanging position. The container may be transparent, or translucent, and in either case, may have printed matter thereon, if desired. The container may be made on one machine and packed in another, or may be made and packed on automatic machinery.

The main object of this invention is to provide a plastic film container having means for conveniently dispensing the contents thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a plastic container of the elastic film type which is heat sealable.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an elastic film container which is heat sealable, and which may be used for packaging a quantity of paper products of the single, or multifold type, and which has means for the orderly dispensing of said products.

Still another object is to provide an elastic film container preferably made from thin gauge polyethylene.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elastic film container for packaging paper products, and which incorporates means whereby the container may be hung for dispensing the products from a hanging position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an elastic film container which may be transparent, or translucent, and which may have printed matter thereon if desired.

These and further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the principles of the invention, and having a hanger means for dispensing the products therein from a hanging position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section view taken at the midregion of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1 prior to being filled with a product;

FIG. 4 is a section view generally as seen from line 33 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 1.

A container 30, embodying the principles of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, has a hanger means 32 afiixed at the upper end of the container so that the products therein may be dispensed while the container is suspended. The container 30 is formed of a flat sheet of thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene, and is folded upon itself to form sides 34 and 36, and an expandable bottom portion provided by a reverse, or inwardly extending fold 38 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The sides of the container are heat sealed as at 40, while an extension of one of the sides provides a lip portion 4-1. A tear strip 42 is provided at the inner crease of the bottom portion fold 3-8, which tear strip is formed of two parallel rows of serrations 44 extending substantially the full width of the container, and a crosscut 46 toward each end of the rows. The tear strip 42 is arranged so that when the container 30 is filled with paper products, such as towels, they may be successively dispensed from the opening provided by the tear strip 42.. The distance between the rows of serrations 44 may be such as to make dispensing of towels one at a time feasible, such distance, for example, being /2 inch to inch.

The hanger means 32 may be formed of a strong paper and applied by adhesives after the bag is filled with the product and the open end thereof is closed by means such as heat sealing. Or, a strong paper may be coated with polyethylene and applied over the open end of the filled bag, then closed and bonded together by means such as applying heat. Holes 48 may be punched through the hanger assemblage so that the container may be supported in hanging position for easy dispensing of the products contained therein.

The container above described is preferably made from an elastic type of thermoplastic, that is, one which has some give, so that the product will be tightly held, and the container will automatically adjust to small irregularities in the product, if necessary. The material, as mentioned, is preferably heat sealable so that the container may be made in a rapid and economical manner. Materials which may be used are, for example, normally solid polyolefins, particularly polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of ethylene and propylene and the like. The material may be clear i.e., transparent, or may be translucent, and have printing thereon if desired.

The foregoing description has been given in detail without thought of limitation since the inventive principles involved are capable of assuming other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container formed of a rectangular sheet of elastic film folded upon itself and heat sealed along two side edges to provide a two sided bag having an opening at one end, an integral lip portion provided at the open end of the bag, a pleated bottom portion formed by inwardly extending folded sections, and a tear strip arranged in the bottom portion, said tear strip being formed of two rows of parallel extending serrations, said tear strip being further defined by a crosscut extending between the serrations at both ends of the tear strip.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein a header is. secured to the integral lip portion, said header being formed with openings whereby the container may be suspended from the header during use.

3. A container according to claim 1, 'wherein the elastic film is made from polyethylene.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the elastic film is made from a transparent polyethylene.

Duvall Oct. 29, 1929 Herder Feb. 27, 1934 Wolf Oct. 11, Crebbs Sept. 16, Knuetter Dec. 2, Feigenbutz Dec. 22, Rosen Aug. 12, Hultkrans et a1. Apr. 30, Harwood Dec. 20,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 1, Canada Sept. 6, Belgium Oct. 31, 

1. A CONTAINER FORMED OF A RECTANGULAR SHEET OF ELASTIC FILM FOLDED UPON ITSELF AND HEAT SEALED ALONG TWO SIDE EDGES TO PROVIDE A TWO SIDED BAG HAVING AN OPENING AT ONE END, AN INTEGRAL LIP PORTION PROVIDED AT THE OPEN END OF THE BAG, A PLEATED BOTTOM PORTION FORMED BY INWARDLY EXTENDING FOLDED SECTIONS, AND A TEAR STRIP AR- 